Walking down the empty corridor, Bianca couldn't help but grin to herself. Yesterday the train left for King's Cross Station, taking most of the students and faculty of Hogwarts with it. All of her friends and fellow Gryffindors were gone. It was weird being the only person left in Gryffindor tower, but thinking about the upcoming weeks made it worth it. It also made it worth her friends' lecture on keeping from them that she was staying behind. So she might have not told them she wasn't leaving till the day of…it wasn't that big of a deal. It was more she knew Simone, Erin, and Babe would ask her questions she couldn't really answer. As with everything concerning them, I'm staying for my girlfriend Frankie wasn't a viable answer. Thus, she had to endure a short rant before the girls were whisked away to spend holiday break with their families far away from Hogwarts.
The idea of family made Bianca's smile falter for a second. She would miss spending the holiday with them. There had never been a Christmas she hadn't spent with her crazy parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the like. It would be different. But, it would be good different. Great even. Why? Because she was spending it with her girlfriend. The faltering smile quickly stabilized and grew like it always did when Bianca thought about Frankie. Merlin, she was becoming crazy about that girl. Absolutely batty. It was ok, however. If she was going to be batty over anyone, Frankie was her first choice.
If only she could find the girl. She hadn't seen Frankie since dinner the night before. Their nightly meeting had been cancelled on account of Filch basically camping out in front of the Slytherin common room entrance. Frankie'd warned her the caretaker did this every year. Something about a prank gone wrong that ended with him forever not trusting Frankie and whatever Slytherin stayed behind for break.
Meandering around a rather grotesque statue of a hunchbacked goblin, Bianca released a sigh. She'd planned on spending every moment she could with Frankie this break, and already it was turning out to be worse than during the regular time of the year. She had seen more of Frankie when they had class together and met up secretly at night then when everyone was gone and it was just them – along with a few other students, but they didn't really factor into this. It was almost like that first weekend after she and Frankie had spent the night in the astronomy tower and Frankie disappeared.
Where was she?
As if reading her mind, two hands shot out from behind the statue and grabbed Bianca's hips. With a yelp, the brunette was dragged back into the hidden alcove. Spinning around, she lightly slapped at a smirking Frankie.
"Frankie! Stop doing that!" huffed Bianca, hitting her again.
"Ow." Frankie ducked her body away from the flailing hand, "Is this part of your giant heritage?"
"I'm not a giant."
"Right, your troll ancestry, then."
"I'm not a troll." This was ridiculous.
"Clomp, clomp." Frankie winked.
"You are insufferable." Bianca shook her head. Glancing around the dark alcove, she added, "And weird. Where have you been?"
"Miss me?" Frankie grinned cheekily.
"Never." Bianca smirked back. "I just wanted to know if there are any traps I should be worried about. Exploding dung bombs or wildfire whiz bangs come to mind."
"Perhaps, but if you stick with me and not with Filch you should be alright."
"Hmmm, such a tough choice. Filch does look rather sexy with his hunchbacked shuffle, wheezing, and let's not forget that amazing thin grey hair." Bianca's eyes widened comically.
Frankie's look of absolute disgust and disbelief caused Bianca to guffaw.
"Don't worry, cutie, I choose you every time." Bianca cooed. "No need to be jealous."
"I'm not jealous." Frankie groused.
"Is that why Slytherin is green and silver? Jealousy?"
"Haha." Frankie deadpanned. "Look at the Gryffindor. Such a comedian."
"I do have many talents."
"Does one of those include not calling me cutie?"
"Hmmm," Bianca tapped her finger against her chin, "no, I don't think so."
"Can't expect too much from a troll now, can you?" Frankie shot back.
"Haha. Look at the Slytherin. Such a comedian." Bianca mocked.
Frankie rolled her eyes drolly. Unable to stop herself, she hadn't seen her all day, Bianca leaned down and pressed her mouth to Frankie's. A hand instantly rose up and cupped her cheek, holding her in place as velvety lips brushed back and forth across hers.
"Hi." Bianca whispered, separating a mere inch from the blonde.
"Hey." Frankie whispered back, eyes firmly planted on red plumpness.
Bianca giggled and kissed her again, "Where've you been all day?"
"Around. Solving world hunger." Frankie mumbled, her head unconsciously following Bianca's as the taller girl moved back.
"World hunger?"
"Yeah…big problem…worldwide even." Frankie brought their mouths together, sucking gently on Bianca's bottom lip.
Bianca moaned softly, "W-why are we hiding?" Everyone was gone.
"What?" Frankie clearly was not following the conversation anymore.
Bianca felt her back touch the statue. She didn't even know she'd been moving backwards. Frankie's hands cupped both her cheeks, angling her head to further deepen the kiss. Bianca got lost in the feel, all thoughts about hiding vanishing into thin air.
BANG!
Bianca jumped at the startling sound, causing Frankie to nearly fall forward into the statute. "What was that?" she breathed out, holding onto Frankie. She bent to peek around the statue, not noticing Frankie stiffening in her grasp.
"FILTHY LITTLE BEASTS!" Filch's voice boomed down the corridor.
Bianca peered around the statue to see Filch toppled over, a boomerang whizzing by his head, barely missing with each swoop as he ducked and bobbed. "Is that a…ever-bashing boomerang?" Bianca asked. It was one of the banned items that students were forbidden from possessing while at Hogwarts. The boomerang would repeatedly swing back and hit whoever threw it…or accidentally set it off. Bringing her gaze back around, Bianca spotted Frankie's proud smirk before the girl could even think of wiping it off her face.
"So, this is what you've been doing." Bianca took in the self-satisfied stance.
"Me? Play a joke on one of our esteemed staff members?" Frankie's innocent look was so over the top, that mixed with the smugness that was seeping through all Bianca could do was cross her arms and shake her head.
"This statue does provide a good viewing spot to watch the prank." No wonder Frankie had been hiding there.
"Does it? I wouldn't know." Frankie made a show of looking around, "I thought this was where we were meeting."
"Meeting?"
"I'LL HAVE YOU STRUNG UP BY YOUR ANKLES FOR THIS!" Filch cried out followed by a rather loud thwap.
"We were going, weren't we?" Frankie gestured.
Bianca eyed her, "Don't you want to stay and be strung up by your ankles?"
"And miss spending the day with you? You yell at me because you can't find me, and now that you've found me you want me locked in Filch's office. Gryffindors are a screwy bunch."
"Says the girl who played a prank on the caretaker the first day of break." Bianca grabbed her hand, "Come on. I'll save you from certain punishment."
"What a hero." Frankie allowed herself to be led away from the scene of the crime.
"I cannot believe you did that to him."
"Maybe if he didn't spend all his time looking for a prank, he wouldn't run into one."
Bianca and Frankie leisurely strolled around the grounds outside Hogwarts. The freshly fallen snow crunched underneath their shoes, and errant snowflakes danced about their heads. Ever since the snow touched the ground and stuck, Bianca had wanted to go out into it. That was one of the best things about Christmas and winter – being able to play in the snow. Yes, she was growing older and maturing, but that didn't mean she couldn't waltz around in the winter wonderland that appeared for a few months every year.
"You're just mad we couldn't meet last night because Filch was outside your common room." Bianca pointed out. She adjusted her hand in Frankie's, moving it so their fingers laced comfortably.
"I believe that is you projecting." Frankie's gaze swept the area. No one else was in sight.
"Me?"
"Where've you been?" Frankie's voice squeaked in a horrible rendition of Bianca's pitch.
"You're going to be strung up by your ankles." Bianca warned.
"You'd like that. Then, you could fly in with your big billowing Gryffindor cape and save me."
"I don't like to fly." Bianca replied, not getting the muggle reference.
"One of the many reasons why you're completely mental."
"I thought it was because I liked you."
"I said one of many…keep up."
They ambled along, the bright afternoon sun making the outside coldness quite comfy. With each step, they grew closer. The lengths of their arms pressed together. Their hips lightly bumped. Their breathing synced.
Until Bianca spotted it.
A little ways past the lake at the base of the rolling hill Hogwarts sat atop of was the perfect patch of unmarred snow. Altering direction, Bianca walked over to it excitedly, "Let's make a snow angel!"
Frankie stared at her.
"Oh come on, it'll be fun." Bianca released her hand.
"Fun?" Frankie looked down at the cold wet whiteness.
Bianca prepared herself to fall down, "Yes. It'll be perfect. We won't even get footprints in it."
"Are you going to levitate out of it?" Frankie'd seen people make these all the time back in London. She'd never understood the pleasure of falling down into glacially freezing snow, waving your arms and legs, then standing up.
"You're going to help me up, Ms. Doom and Gloom." Bianca snagged the collar of Frankie's coat and pulled her close, "Stop being such a grumpy little Slytherin and enjoy the day."
"I am enjoying the day." Frankie muttered. "I just don't enjoy laying in the snow."
"I'll lay in the snow and make it."
"Because you're such an angel, right?" Frankie's tone was sharp, but her softened eyes showed she might not be joking about that. At Bianca's look, she relented, "Yeah, yeah. Just lay down already."
Bianca pecked her lips, "Kiss for good luck."
Frankie pulled her in for another kiss, "Better make that double."
Bianca smiled into the touch. Breaking apart, she carefully dropped down into the snow, making certain to not produce any marks other than the ones she wanted. Spread out fully, she began to wave her arms and legs, luxuriating in the childlike thrill it produced.
Frankie crouched down beside her, watching the motions. "So…your parents were ok with you not going home?"
"Yeah. They were a little sad they wouldn't get to see me, but they understood." Bianca looked up at her.
Frankie's face was unreadable, "Understood?"
"My friend was staying and I wanted to stay with her." Bianca stopped moving.
"Right."
"I would have told them about you…"
"No," Frankie cut her off. "it's better they don't know about us." At Bianca's frown she continued, "No one else does. With the way your friends like to read your letters, it's best your parents don't say something wrong."
She had a point, "You're right."
"Of course I am." Frankie smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Help me up?" Bianca noticed this and didn't know what it meant.
"Such a Gryffindor, always needing help." Frankie tutted but held out her hands.
Slowly and cautiously Bianca stood up, using Frankie for both leverage and strength. Once she was fully erected and away from the angel, she wrapped her arms around Frankie, "Are you ok?"
"Fine." Frankie was confused.
Bianca sighed, "You look unhappy."
"I'm not."
Bianca's look was very readable.
Frankie shrugged, "It's just…you told your parents so late, and I know you were really looking forward to going home."
Oh, "I want to be here, and they are ok with me wanting that." Bianca kissed her cheek, "So, stop worrying about it. I'm exactly where I want to be."
"In the cold making a snow angel?"
"With you? Yes."
"Mental." Frankie rolled her eyes, "I know, you don't have to say it." She lifted her voice back to the squeaky pitch, "Can you get that through your thick skull? I want to be with you."
"I do not sound like that at all." Bianca turned to look at her creation. "It's great."
"I did help make it."
Dinner was both eventful and uneventful. It was uneventful in the fact that it was only another meal at Hogwarts, albeit without most of the students and faculty that crowded the Great Hall. The food was the normal fare – pork chops, sausages, peas, boiled potatoes, carrots, and apple pies with ice cream for dessert. The handful of students that stayed behind, three in Ravenclaw, two in Hufflepuff, and another Slytherin, sat at their tables munching on the food and drinking pumpkin juice. Bianca sat alone, and it was lonely, at the Gryffindor table while Frankie sat at the Slytherin table, making small talk with the third year girl whose name Bianca didn't know. The girl was small, smaller than Frankie, and had short auburn hair and wickedly dark black eyes.
Dinner was eventful in the fact that Frankie and Bianca couldn't stop looking at each other. Usually they were able to, the mass amounts of people and their friends making it neigh impossible to even spot the other, let alone trade glances. But, with the lack of bodies, there was nothing to block hazel and brown from meeting. There was no way either of the teenagers would be able to stop themselves. It was something they couldn't control.
Frankie seemed to have figured out what was happening between them, because that mischievous twinkled entered her eye. Bianca broke their shared gaze to get a better look at the peas she was scooping onto her spoon. She took the second to silently wish Frankie was beside her and not an empty space. Shoving the spoon into her mouth and chewing on the squishy green vegetable, she returned her eyes to Frankie.
And proceeded to spit out her half-chewed peas.
It only lasted a millisecond, but Frankie shot her the most hilarious look Bianca had ever seen. Her eyebrows were up to her hairline, and her mouth was wide open. Her eyes were crossed and a lopsided grin anchored the face.
Wiping the tiny mess up, Bianca peeked up to see Frankie once again in discussion with the third year, looking for all the world like the calm seeker she tended to be.
Oh, it was on.
After that, throughout the meal, they traded comical looks, silently trying to one-up the other. Bianca delighted in the battle, even though the students at the next table must have thought she was physically unable to swallow food. It was a moment in time that, unlike the beginning of their relationship, was becoming more and more pronounced. Frankie was letting herself go, so to speak. She wasn't so closed off anymore. It was like tiny splinters were cracking open and Frankie was revealing these hidden parts of herself that only Bianca got to see.
It was the best thing in the world.
After that meal, dinners tended to somehow descend into some form of craziness between the two. They either traded funny looks or worked on the art of sign language – even though their sign language was of their own invention and resembled something akin to baseball signals, which Bianca knew nothing about except for the short chapter on muggle sports she read in class. Bianca loved it. The few hours she couldn't be with Frankie, that didn't involve sleep and beds, she could still feel close to her.
"Merlin, it's drafty down here."
Bianca shivered and hugged her arms around her belly. She hopped up onto a long wooden table and let her legs dangle over the edge. Her feet swung back and forth as another shiver wracked her body.
"It's a dungeon." Frankie shrugged, hopping up onto the table beside her. She lifted the strap of her bag over her head and let it slip to the tabletop.
Bianca glanced around the room. It was one of the many dungeons beneath Hogwarts. The potions classroom was a ways away, down a few twisting hallways, as was the Slytherin common room. According to Frankie, the old man was still camping out there, but she'd managed to sneak past him and meet up with Bianca. The room they'd come to was large, larger than the potions classroom. The walls were pure stone and had no windows. Brightly lit torches burned from their perches, draping the room in their golden glow. Bianca wished the fires burned a little hotter so they would warm her up.
"Is it always this cold?" The Slytherins had to put up with this all year?
Frankie smirked and reached into her bag, "Need something to warm you up?"
Yes, she did. Preferably a nice hot drink…or Frankie's arms. What she did not expect was the bottle of firewhiskey Frankie took out.
"Firewhiskey?" Bianca tilted her head, "Really?"
Frankie pushed the bag to the floor and set the bottle in its place, "Early Christmas gift from Gary. Thought you'd might like to share it, since you're such a big fan of it and all."
"I remember you were the fan." Bianca watched as Frankie twisted open the top.
"You drank just as much as I did."
"Sure, Frankie. How many butterbeers did you have again?" Bianca's brow ticked up.
"Enough for you to follow me behind that store." Frankie replied.
"I followed you because you were adorable with those bright red cheeks." Bianca teasingly pinched her face.
Frankie jerked her head back, "Whatever." Her cheeks turned red.
Bianca awed playfully.
Frankie ignored her and held the bottle up, "Well?"
Bianca grasped it, "I guess I'll share it with you. It is our drink after all. Think, we're together because of firewhiskey."
"And your stalking capabilities."
"Like you didn't want me."
"Drink." Frankie ordered mirthfully.
Bianca did. She tipped the bottle back and took a hearty gulp. A thunderous cough erupted as the liquid burned down her throat and into her belly. Frankie chuckled and took the bottle from her, "Burn?"
Bianca's eyes watered, "Your turn." She'd forgotten what firewhiskey tasted like.
Frankie took a swig.
"Gary is my best friend." Frankie wobbled on her feet.
Bianca's bright glassy eyes danced, "He gave us firewhiskey."
"Best. Friend. Ever." Frankie enunciated, the bottle sloshing in her weaving hand.
"I'm not your best friend?" Bianca pouted.
"Well…you…but…firewhiskey." Frankie stumbled.
The two had been sipping back and forth for a couple hours. With each swallow, their smiles grew and the bottle emptied.
"You know, I really really really like you." Bianca teetered on the edge of the table. "Really really a lot."
"I really really really really," Frankie paused and counted her reallys, "really like you, too."
Bianca beamed, "Gary's cool." He gave them liquor.
Frankie nodded, "Yeah, very cool." Christmas gifts were awesome.
"You're cool."
"Am I?" Frankie staggered over to her.
"Yep," Bianca took the bottle from her. "and cute, and sexy. How can you be cute and sexy at the same time?" It was the mystery of the universe.
Frankie shrugged, one shoulder lifting higher than the other as her body leaned to the side, "Don't know? You?"
"Me?" Bianca took another drink.
Frankie nodded, "You're cute and…" she gulped, "sexy."
"No'm not." Bianca blushed at the appreciative stare.
"Yeah you are." Frankie stepped closer. Bianca opened her legs and Frankie walked in between them, stopping when she hit the edge of the table, "You…you are the prettiest girl I've ever seen. You…you're…" she paused, searching for the words in her alcohol addled brain, "you're better than anything."
"You're lying. Slytherins lie." Bianca clumsily put her hands on Frankie's hips.
"No," Frankie shook her head, "I'm not lying. I…you…so beautiful. I think about you all the time. No lie. You and quidditch, you're like," she held her hands up, one higher than the other, "you're here," waved the higher hand, "and quidditch is here." waved the lower hand.
"Really?" Frankie loved quidditch.
"Yeah," Frankie dropped her hands. Her palms landed on Bianca's thighs.
"I think about you, too." Bianca admitted. Her breathing started to grow shallow and her heart rate picked up as Frankie leaned toward her.
"Yeah?"
Bianca nodded, her eyes crossing as the tip of Frankie's nose touched hers. Letting her eyelids flutter down, Bianca tilted her head and kissed Frankie. Sparks flashed across the backs of her lids and her head became fuzzy with delirium. The taste of firewhiskey filled her mouth as she allowed a moist tongue to slip past her lips. She soaked in the feel, nipping and sucking along with the lips blended so magically with her own.
A low moan rumbled against her mouth. A similar moan reverberated in her chest, and she grappled with the body against her, digging her hands and fingers into slender hips. One of her hands trailed up a firm smooth back, bumping over the rough cotton shirt. Eagerly, she flattened her hand in the center of Frankie's back and pushed, guiding the girl downward. Bianca writhed back as she dropped slowly to the table.
Frankie followed, crawling up as Bianca spread fully across the table. Fingers pinched the edges of Bianca's shirt as their kisses became hotter. Bianca gasped as cool skin slid under her shirt and connected with heated flesh. She turned her head to the side, panting for air. Frankie went for her neck, tracing her lips up and down the marble hued column.
Bianca's eyelids quivered. Her heart was beating so fast. Her breaths came in heavy gasps. The room that had been so cold felt so so hot. Merlin, it all felt so good. She threw an arm over the back of Frankie's shoulders, her other hand coming to cup the back of Frankie's head. Her fingers tangled in the silky blonde strands.
Nimble fingers drew shapes over her taut stomach. Her muscles clenched at the sensations. Turning her head back to Frankie's, she messily kissed her cheek and jaw, paving a path until their lips wetly met again.
Hands slipped higher and higher, and Bianca's heart beat faster and faster.
A thumb brushed the underside of her breast.
Bianca's head flew back. She sucked in lungfuls of air as the thumb swept across the sensitive skin again. "Frankie."
The hands paused.
Frankie blinked and lifted her head. Their eyes met. Bianca watched as stormy hazel seemed to come out of a trance. Frankie blinked again. Her jaw dropped, forcing her already opened mouth to open further. Her eyes widened, some of the alcohol induced haze receding, allowing her to notice what position they were in.
"We…need to…slow down." Frankie spoke in between breaths.
Bianca swallowed thickly. "We do. But…not yet."
"Not yet?" Frankie glanced down at where her hands were heading.
She did not want to stop now. "Not yet." It felt so good.
Frankie stared into her eyes, both silently sharing their fears and hopes. They'd never gone this far before. Ever so slowly, Frankie slid her hands up. Bianca sighed as they cupped her chest.
"Ok?" Frankie asked, her hands stilling clumsily.
Bianca bit her lip and nodded.
Frankie began to gently knead the twin mounds. She pressed a kiss to Bianca's cheek. Her voice was half terror half turned on, "I care about you so much."
Bianca whimpered, "Frankie, it's so good." She gazed up into Frankie's eyes, "Can I?" She needed to touch her.
Frankie gulped and nodded.
With aching tenderness and fear only felt by someone who'd never done this before and cared too much to ever hurt the one she was with, Bianca glided her hands under Frankie's shirt. She skimmed the muscular stomach and stopped just below Frankie's breasts. Taking her time, she let her trembling hands smooth up and over. Frankie hissed and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Frankie?" was she doing something wrong?
"Don't stop." Frankie groaned.
Emboldened by the words, Bianca let the pad of her thumb flick over a hardened nub. Her own groan sounded as Frankie mimicked her movements.
"Oh my…" Bianca let her head roll back.
"We should…ah….stop." Frankie got out.
"We should." Bianca agreed reluctantly.
"Bianca?"
Bianca kissed her lips, "This is good." She dropped her eyes, "I'm not…" ready for more, no matter what her body felt. Neither of them was.
With another kiss, Bianca let her hands slip down to rest on Frankie's belly. She sighed as Frankie's hands left her chest.
"It's late." Frankie mumbled, resting her hands on Bianca's sides.
Not to mention they were still a tad drunk.
"Stay with me?" Bianca asked with her big brown orbs.
Frankie nodded softly. Awkwardly, she climbed off of Bianca and settled beside her on the big table. With hesitation, she opened her arms, and Bianca immediately moved into them.
Lying together, curled in each other's arms, Bianca spoke quietly, "Frankie?"
"Hmm?" she rubbed her thumb over Bianca's cheek.
"I'm glad I stayed here."
A beat.
"Me, too."